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Training Camp Cuts: 10/02/18

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At 4pm today every team in the league must submit their final roster of 23 players, meaning several around the league still have a few final cuts to make before the season begins. As always, we’ll keep track of all those moves right here:

Anaheim Ducks (per team Twitter update)

F Joseph Blandisi (to San Diego, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to San Diego, AHL)

Calgary Flames (per team release)

F Andrew Mangiapane (to Stockton, AHL)
F Anthony Peluso (to Stockton, AHL)
D Rasmus Andersson (to Stockton, AHL)
G Jon Gillies (to Stockton, AHL)

Colorado Avalanche (per team release)

F Logan O’Connor (to Colorado, AHL)
D David Warsofsky (to Colorado, AHL)
D Mark Alt (to Colorado, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Alex Broadhurst (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Matiss Kivlenieks (to Cleveland, AHL)

Dallas Stars (per team release)

F Justin Dowling (to Texas, AHL)
D Gavin Bayreuther (to Texas, AHL)
D Joel Hanley (to Texas, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

F/D Luke Witkowski (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Joe Hicketts (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Filip Hronek (to Grand Rapids, AHL)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

D Ethan Bear (to Bakersfield, AHL) – Immediately recalled after Andrej Sekera was placed on long-term injured reserve.

Los Angeles Kings (per team release)

F Emerson Etem (released from PTO)

Minnesota Wild (per team release)

D Ryan Murphy (to Iowa, AHL)
F Matt Read (to Iowa, AHL)

New York Islanders (per team release)

F Jan Kovar (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Devon Toews (to Bridgeport, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (per team release)

D Christian Jaros (to Belleville, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)

F Taylor Leier (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (per team release)

F Dylan Gambrell (to San Jose, AHL)
F Lukas Radil (to San Jose, AHL)
G Antoine Bibeau (to San Jose, AHL)

St. Louis Blues (per team release)

F Chris Thorburn (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Zachary Sanford (to San Antonio, AHL)
D Jake Walman (to San Antonio, AHL)
G Ville Husso (to San Antonio, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

F Daniel Carr (to Chicago, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (to Chicago, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team release)

D Jonas Siegenthaler (to Hershey, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (per team release)

D Logan Stanley (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Tucker Poolman (to Manitoba, AHL)

Anaheim Ducks Claim Pontus Aberg

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The Anaheim Ducks have claimed forward Pontus Aberg off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Aberg was a somewhat surprising inclusion yesterday, given that he was only acquired in February and had put up eight points in 16 games down the stretch with Edmonton. Some had hoped he could develop into a secondary scoring option for the Oilers this season, but with the additions of Tobias Rieder and Kyle Brodziak this summer, along with likely full-time graduations for some of the organization’s younger players, there wasn’t enough room for Aberg any longer.

That means the 25-year old forward will get his next chance in Anaheim, where the Ducks are desperately trying to find offense after Corey Perry’s recent injury and the decline of some of their other weapons. Selected 37th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2012, Aberg has shown elite scoring ability in the minor leagues and has flashed NHL potential at times including a solid performance in the 2017 postseason. It’s not clear exactly where he’ll fit into Anaheim’s lineup, but is a worthwhile addition at this point in the year.

Anaheim will assume the $650K cap hit of Aberg for this season, after which he will become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. It’s a big year for him to prove he can cut it in the NHL, and should get at least some opportunity to do just that with the Ducks.

Fifteen Players Placed On Waivers

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Another busy day on the waiver wire as 15 players were placed on waivers today, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). No players was claimed from yesterday’s group of 16 players, but with the regular season fast approaching, teams are continuing to make big decisions.

F Justin Bailey (Buffalo)
F Nicholas Baptiste (Buffalo)
F Riley Barber (Washington)
D Matt Bartkowski (Minnesota)
F Patrick Brown (Carolina)
F Erik Condra (Dallas)
G Andrew Hammond (Minnesota)
F Mike Liambas (Minnesota)
D Evan McEneny (Vancouver)
F Greg McKegg (Carolina)
F Michael Mersch (Dallas)
F Liam O’Brien (Washington)
F Kyle Rau (Minnesota)
F Matt Read (Minnesota)
F Anton Rodin (Anaheim) — placed on unconditional waivers (per Lavoie)
D Matt Tennyson (Buffalo)

There are a few interesting names, including the “Hamburglar,” who lost his bid to unseat goaltender Alex Stalock as the backup goaltender in Minnesota. Hammond hasn’t been a full-time backup since the 2015-16 season, but has shown flashes of brilliance when he’s hot, including getting into three playoff appearances for Colorado last year. One of those games, Game 5, Hammond stopped 44 of 45 shots in leading the Avalanche to a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. However, he wasn’t able to keep that success going as he yielded five goals the following game as Colorado was eliminated.

The 23-year-old Bailey is another interesting player who has worked his way up level-by-level and was on the border of a regular spot. Bailey has had three stints in the NHL now and last year’s was one of the more successful ones has he tallied three goals and four points in 12 games. Baptiste is another 23-year-old in Buffalo, who got an even longer look with the Sabres, 33 games, but only managed four goals in that time.

Read is another player with tons of experience. The 32-year-old had played quite a bit in the NHL before struggling to get playing time in Philadelphia, while the 25-year-old Rau posted 23 goals in Iowa last season in the AHL.

Brian Gibbons Has A Hand Injury

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  • Ducks winger Brian Gibbons is dealing with a hand injury, bringing the number of injured players up to seven, notes Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. The team is waiting for the swelling to subside before they can determine the severity of the injury and how much time he might miss.  Gibbons is in his first season in Anaheim after inking a one-year, $1MM deal back in July.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/28/18

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With season-opening rosters due just a few days from now, quite a few more cuts are expected today around the league.  We’ll keep tabs on these moves here and will update this post throughout the day.

Please note that this list does not include players placed on waivers today.  That group of players can be found here.

Anaheim Ducks (via Eric Stephens of The Athletic)

D Simon Benoit (to San Diego, AHL)
G Kevin Boyle (to San Diego, AHL)
F Sam Carrick (to San Diego, AHL)
G Jared Coreau (to San Diego, AHL)
F Chase De Leo (to San Diego, AHL)
D Jacob Larsson (to San Diego, AHL)
D Steven Oleksy (to San Diego, AHL)
D Josh Mahura (to San Diego, AHL)
F Anton Rodin (to San Diego, AHL)
F Corey Tropp (to San Diego, AHL)
D Andy Welinski (to San Diego, AHL)

Boston Bruins (per team release)

F Ryan Fitzgerald (to Providence, AHL)
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (to Providence, AHL)
F Jakub Lauko (to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
F Jordan Szwarz (to Providence, AHL)
D Jakub Zboril (to Providence, AHL)

Dallas Stars (via Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge)

D Dillon Heatherington (to Texas, AHL)
D Reece Scarlett (to Texas, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

F Wade Megan (to Grand Rapids, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (per team Twitter)

F Kevin Rooney (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Brett Seney (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)

New York Rangers (per team Twitter)

F Lias Andersson (to Hartford, AHL)
D Steven Fogarty (to Hartford, AHL)
D Libor Hajek (to Hartford, AHL)
D Ryan Lindgren (to Hartford, AHL)
F Michael Lindqvist (to Hartford, AHL)
F Ville Meskanen (to Hartford, AHL)
D Rob O’Gara (to Hartford, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (per team Twitter)

F Filip Chlapik (to Belleville, AHL)
D Christian Wolanin (to Belleville, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)

F Tyrell Goulbourne (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Carsen Twarynski (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (per team release)

F Mason Appleton (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Mikhail Berdin (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Eric Comrie (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Jansen Harkins (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Skyler McKenzie (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Nelson Nogier (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Reichel (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Peter Stoykewych (to Manitoba, AHL)
F C.J. Suess (to Manitoba, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team Twitter)

F Maximilian Kammerer (to Hershey, AHL)

Snapshots: Canucks, Watson, Olson

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The Vancouver Canucks will not have free agent addition Antoine Roussel in the lineup when the regular season begins. Roussel has been sidelined since the start of training camp due to a concussion, but the hope was that without preseason action, he would have the time and rest to be ready for the real thing. However, in speaking to head coach Travis Green, Ben Kuzma of the Province has confirmed that Roussel will not be ready for the start of the season. Green gave no timeline for his return, only stating that a comeback in time for opening night had been ruled out. Green did add that young goaltender Thatcher Demko has also been dealing with concussion symptoms. He has entered the league’s concussion protocol and there is no word on when he will be ready to play or whether he will begin the season on the injured reserve or in the AHL. Kuzma writes that Demko collided with the Calgary Flames’ Mikael Backlund during last Saturday’s preseason match, but his condition deteriorated to the point of being diagnosed ahead of the Canucks’ next game on Monday night. Considering bottom-six forward Roussel and current third-string goalie Demko have been the only training camp casualties in Vancouver, the team has had relatively good luck. They hope it stays that was as the team needs a healthy and positive start to the season given their struggles over the past few years.

  • Another player missing to star the 2018-19 season in Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson. Watson was suspended for the first 27 games of the campaign for his role in a domestic abuse incident this off-season. Watson pled no contest to the assault charges an the NHL felt that a third of the season was fitting supplemental punishment. However, Watson did appeal his suspension and that hearing with a neutral arbitrator took place yesterday, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.  LeBrun suggests that, unlike in salary arbitration, this decision could take up to a couple weeks. If Watson is successful in his appeal, an unlikely outcome, the arbitrator will choose a new, shortened length that he sees fit. If not, Watson will be eligible to return to the Predators on December 3rd.
  • Quinn Olson, the younger brother of Anaheim Ducks prospect Kyle Olson, has made a decision on where he wants to start his next season. The younger Olson will pass up the major junior route that his brother, a forward for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, took and will instead opt to go the college route. Olson has committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the NCAA’s reigning champion, reports College Hockey Inc. The undersized but effective 17-year-old forward is playing this season for the Okotoks Oilers of the junior-A Alberta Junior Hockey League and could possibly play one more season with the team, but if he continues to score at a point-per-game pace, as he has for much of the last season plus, the Bulldogs will probably try to bring him in next year instead. Olson is a draft-eligible prospect for the upcoming 2019 NHL Draft and is likely to join his brother in an NHL pipeline shortly.

Corey Perry Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out Five Months

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The Anaheim Ducks issued some bad news today, with GM Bob Murray revealing that star forward Corey Perry has suffered a major knee injury. Perry reportedly damaged the meniscus and MCL in his right knee during warm-ups ahead of the Ducks’ last preseason game. The team diagnosed the injury and Perry underwent surgery today. The expected recovery time is upwards of 20 weeks, close to five months. Murray said that they hope to have Perry back before the NHL Trade Deadline at the end of February.

This is a major blow for the Ducks, who have had terrible luck with injuries lately. The team is already dealing with the recoveries of Ryan Kesler and Patrick Eaves and now another top-six forward has been lost. Although Perry struggled last season by his standards with just 17 goals and 49 points, he was still Anaheim’s third-highest scorer and trailed only Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg in total ice time among forwards. The Ducks were hoping to get a bounce back season from Perry with Ryan Getzlaf, Kesler, and Eaves closer to full health, but now lose perhaps their most dangerous scorer. A Hart Trophy and Richard Trophy winner, Perry is one of the league’s best power forwards when healthy. However, his skating has become a concern as he’s aged and a major knee injury will not help get him back up to speed. Even after that, the 33-year-old may not be the same player he once was following this latest injury.

For all intents and purposes, the Ducks cannot rely on Perry at all this season. Even if he is able to make it back before the end of the year, it will take time to get him back to full strength. The top-six of Getzlaf, Rakell, Silfverberg and – if healthy – Kesler and Eaves will have to be at their best, while the likes of Ondrej Kase and Troy Terry will have to step up. This predicament could also heat up negotiations with Anaheim’s other power forward, unsigned RFA Nick Ritchie, or could also ramp up expected interest by the Ducks in acquiring a winger, perhaps even making an offer on another unsigned RFA, William Nylander. A lot could change for the Ducks this season as they work to replace on of the best players in franchise history.

 

Ottawa Senators Agree To Affiliation With ECHL’s Brampton Beast

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The Ottawa Senators have added another layer to their pipeline, announcing today that they have agreed to a one-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Brampton Beast. As with all NHL-ECHL relationships, the Ottawa Senators and AHL’s Belleville Senators will be able to assign players to Brampton in 2018-19. The Beast were most recently affiliated with the rival Montreal Canadiens and their AHL team, the Laval Rocket. However, Montreal will not have a specific affiliate this season, opting instead to send some players to Brampton and others to nearby clubs like the Maine Mariners.

Brampton is a logical fit for the Senators, located in Ontario not far from Toronto, a quick flight or manageable drive from Ottawa or Belleville. The Senators were formerly affiliated with the Wichita Thunder, but gave up that exclusive relationship prior to last season. Ottawa used Wichita sparingly, as well as Brampton, last year despite a lack of a formal relationship, and the Thunder took on a new parent club in the Edmonton Oilers. Now, the Senators are back in the ECHL officially and may use Brampton more frequently due to its proximity.

With this agreement in place, the number of unaffiliated NHL and ECHL clubs drops again. There has been much movement in the ECHL this off-season, but with the Vegas Golden Knights and Fort Wayne Komets linking up, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Orlando Solar Bears making a reasonable match, and the Atlanta Gladiators adding the Nashville Predators on alongside the Boston Bruins, very few teams have yet to be paired up with the season about to begin. Currently, the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, and San Jose Sharks are without an ECHL affiliate, while the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Rapid City Rush are without parent clubs. The Panthers and South Carolina-based Swamp Rabbits would seem to be an easy match, but only time will tell if and when any further relationships are formed this season.

Minor Transactions: 9/25/18

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Even as many players lose their shots at an NHL roster spot across the league, via waivers and reassignment, positive moves are being made as well, giving others a second chance or new opportunity ahead of the 2018-19 season. Follow along with some smaller transactions around the hockey world right here:

  • It’s the first NHL call-up of the season and it’s not a minor one, either. The San Jose Sharks have recalled 14 players from San Jose Barracuda’s camp, the team announced. Nine forwards and five defenseman will re-join training camp and, likely the main purpose of the promotion, will take part in the team’s road game against the Calgary Flames tonight. San Jose entered camp initially with very few if any real position battles and likely have their lineup sorted out with the regular season set to open next week. Rather than tire out their veterans with a trip back and forth to Alberta, they’ll let the kids go instead. Regardless, it is a great experience for some of the younger players who were dejected at already being demoted to the AHL.
  • As indicated by his unexpected waiver placement earlier, Ryan Haggerty has signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 25-year-old two-way forward has been a member of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the past two years and signed an extension to return this season. However, as an invite to NHL camp, Haggerty did enough to earn a bump up to a two-way contract. CapFriendly did some digging after Haggerty was put on waivers and found that the has signed a two-year deal worth an average of $675K at the NHL level. Haggerty is expected to return to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but could be a useful bottom-six depth piece for the Penguins this year.
  • After clearing unconditional waivers yesterday, recently released former Anaheim Duck Julius Nattinen has already found a new home. The young center, a second-round pick in 2015, struggled greatly in the AHL last season, recording just 12 points as a first-year pro. The Athletic’s Eric Stephens reported that Nattinen did not plan to report to the San Diego Gulls again this season, leading to his termination. He will now return home to Finland, as Liiga club JYP has announced a three-year contract with Nattinen. The 21-year-old forward will try to get his career back on track overseas, but likely has burned his bridges in the NHL with a quick exit from the Ducks’ system.

College Notes: Perbix, Barnaby, Summers

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Anaheim Ducks prospect Jack Perbix has made a decision on his hockey future. The Minnesota native announced on his personal Twitter yesterday that he has committed to the flagship school of his home state, the University of Minnesota. Perbix, who dominated Minnesota high school hockey last year with 61 points in 25 games at Elk River, earned himself a fourth-round selection back in June. He now heads to the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL this season, before joining the Gophers next year. The only question that remains is just how long Perbix remains at the college level. While he may not be an extraordinarily high draft pick, Perbix has the skill to break out in the NCAA and could then press for an opportunity in Anaheim. Right wing is a long-term position of need for the Ducks and one that would grow more dire should they lose Jakob Sifverberg to free agency this year. If Perbix continues to improve and show that he can handle tougher competition, he could be joining the NHL far sooner than after four years at school.

  • Matt Barnaby, who shares his name with father and former NHLer Matthew Barnaby, has also committed to his school of choice. The 20-year-old forward announced via Twitter that he has decided to join Penn State University next season. While the Nittany Lions have vastly improved since joining the NCAA level in 2012, Barnaby is nevertheless one of the bigger names to join the program. Last season, Barnaby finished third in scoring in the junior-A Central Canada Hockey League, recording 76 points in 62 games for the Pembroke Lumber Kings. The Buffalo native has since joined the USHL’s Chicago Steel with high expectations for the campaign. Although Barnaby was undrafted through three years of NHL Draft eligibility, he will still join Penn State with substantial buzz and will be a player to watch for in the NCAA for years to come.
  • Former Clarkson University standout defenseman Kelly Summers has not had the off-season that he hoped for or many expected. One of the top unsigned college free agents to hit the market in August, Summers was coming off a 30-point campaign for the Golden Knights and seemed headed for an entry-level contract or at least a promising AHL situation. After all, frequent Clarkson pair mate – and one with slightly less production – Terrance Amorosa signed with the San Diego Gulls early on. However, that never came to fruition and now Summers has had to settle for an AHL tryout, as he was included on the Belleville Senators’ camp roster. Ironically, Ottawa was the team that initially drafted Summers in the seventh round in 2014, so Summers really has not made much progress at all in a disappointing free agency experience.

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